Somewhere over the Rainbow
The Sparrow
Cameron Summers
Issue date: 5/2/06 Section: Entertainment
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For my first review of a pure science fiction story, I chose to follow up on Brother Glenn's column and write on The Sparrow. I picked it up over Thanksgiving break, and finished it soon thereafter. Published in 1996, it is a response to modern evaluations of early transatlantic contact.
As Brother Glenn said, Mary Doria Russell brings her understanding of science, anthropology, and spirituality to the table with this story. It is almost impossible not to feel drawn in by it.
The story is deep and moving, displaying a mosaic of humor, philosophy, and emotion to show early on that this isn't simply science fiction or drama, but a human narrative. Even though it's clear from the beginning that something terrible has happened, one can't help but become emotionally attached to the characters Mrs. Russell creates.
Eight people are sent aboard a physically possible spacecraft to meet and study these alien creatures. There are four Jesuits, and four individuals who seemed to have been placed by God to help with the project. Among the crew are a Jesuit pilot, who is the leader of the mission, a linguist, a musician, and a botanist. These four laypeople are a computer expert, an engineer, a doctor, and the man who discovered the signals. They also happen to be a Sephardic Jew, two atheists, and a lay catholic, respectively.
The point of the story is the mission to the planet Rakhat, orbiting Alpha Centauri after alien music is heard coming at seemingly random intervals from the direction of that star. In typical fashion, Jesuits are the first on board to contact and study this alien life, just as they were among the first westerners to contact and study the cultures of India, the Americas, China, and Japan.
For me, some of the most interesting parts are the interactions between all these people with different conceptions of God. They all seem to have been drawn together for a purpose, but how this happened and why it happened are questions that they all attempt to address.
As Brother Glenn said, Mary Doria Russell brings her understanding of science, anthropology, and spirituality to the table with this story. It is almost impossible not to feel drawn in by it.
The story is deep and moving, displaying a mosaic of humor, philosophy, and emotion to show early on that this isn't simply science fiction or drama, but a human narrative. Even though it's clear from the beginning that something terrible has happened, one can't help but become emotionally attached to the characters Mrs. Russell creates.
Eight people are sent aboard a physically possible spacecraft to meet and study these alien creatures. There are four Jesuits, and four individuals who seemed to have been placed by God to help with the project. Among the crew are a Jesuit pilot, who is the leader of the mission, a linguist, a musician, and a botanist. These four laypeople are a computer expert, an engineer, a doctor, and the man who discovered the signals. They also happen to be a Sephardic Jew, two atheists, and a lay catholic, respectively.
The point of the story is the mission to the planet Rakhat, orbiting Alpha Centauri after alien music is heard coming at seemingly random intervals from the direction of that star. In typical fashion, Jesuits are the first on board to contact and study this alien life, just as they were among the first westerners to contact and study the cultures of India, the Americas, China, and Japan.
For me, some of the most interesting parts are the interactions between all these people with different conceptions of God. They all seem to have been drawn together for a purpose, but how this happened and why it happened are questions that they all attempt to address.
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